


I'll be your Backup Plan

by I_Likes_This



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, linked universe (fandom)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Gen, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I am going to hurt Shadow folks, Inspired By Tumblr, Original Character(s), Shadow is afraid of Time because of his resemblance to Eternus and that's a fact, Supervillains, Whump, being hurt and waking up in a bed at your enemies' house, hyrule's probably only mentioned or have very little time sorry, i am only a little sorry, im sorry for the mess of tags, no beta we die like fools
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:40:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24640225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Likes_This/pseuds/I_Likes_This
Summary: Heroes aren't who they appear to be. The Villains aren't either.Secrets are fragile, and this one has come to break.What happens when Shadow finds out something he's not supposed to know?
Relationships: Dark Link & Link (Legend of Zelda), Link & Shadow Link
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	1. There's No Way This Can Go Wrong!- Oh God It Went So Wrong

**Author's Note:**

> this was inspired by a textpost reposted onto instagram that i put in the lu discord and then said "you know what i'll write this bitch myself" after the idea and motivation fairies wouldn't stop screaming "HEY! LISTEN!"
> 
> please excuse the lack of those actual break line things, i do not understand that stuff and if you do you are amazing.
> 
> (Eternus is Time's Dark link, Tsunami is Wind's, Typhoon is Sky's, General is Warriors',Wanderer is Hryule's, Beast is Twilight, Myth is Legend's, and Thunder is Wild's!!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadow pokes where he shouldn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: as of 6-10-20, i removed a section from the beginning to place into a later part.

It had been a totally normal, mundane Tuesday. No villains causing a ruckus meant a boring day, Eternus and General doing paperwork or some bullshit. He nearly knocked on Eternus’ door, hoping that maybe their leader had something to put him out of his bored misery, when he heard conversation.  
“I said no. He's not ready to know, General.” Eternus’ growl echoed. “He’ll put our whole operation in danger.”  
“But he’s doing so well!” the second-in-command protested. “I know you think Shadow’s young, but even Tsunami knows, and he’s younger!”  
“It doesn’t matter! You know how “moral” and “just” he is, if he finds out everything will be ruined! He’s not going to know, and that’s an order!”  
“Fine!”  
Shadow heard the clatter of armor as General spun around, his footsteps stomping to the door. He dove behind the nearby plant, inwardly thanking his camouflage capabilities as he melted into the shadows. Seconds later, the door to Eternus’ office slammed open, and a pissed-looking General swept out, storming by his hiding place without as much as a glance. So they were hiding something from him, huh? And everyone but him knew? And it was dangerous? He grinned from within the shadows. Sounds like he had found something to spice up his tuesday.

His plan was incredibly simple. He would go on about his day, wait until someone cornered Eternus for a movie night or something equally boring, and slip into his office. Search the office, find the secret, confront Eternus. It was inconceivable that anything could possibly fuck it up!

_-_-_+_-_-_

Okay, maybe the plan fucking up wasn’t so inconciveable. The first half had gone well, Typhoon and Wanderer cooercing Eternus into a board game, giving him ample time to get into the office. He had searched the whole place, every drawer and cupboard, and found nothing. Paperwork, taxes, paperwork, bills, taxes, false identities, paperwork. Nothing worth hiding at all! Just boring-ass adult stuff. He sighed, leaning back against the bookshelf. What a waste of time. Maybe they had been-! His thoughts broke off with a jerk as a sudden click rang out through the office. Then the floor beneath him began to sink. “Aha!” he squawked. A secret elevator! Of course! Eternus was the exact kind of dramatic bastard for this kind of thing! He cackled quietly as the elevator sunk lower into the base.

And oh, what a treasure trove he found. Equipment lined the right wall, encased in what was undoubtedly bullet-proof glass. A massive garage full of cars and helicopters, even a small airplane, was to his left. And directly in front of him was the jackpot: a table with eight seats and covered in papers in front of a large whiteboard. He was grinning wider now, the adrenaline of discovery pulsing through him. Oh, he was gonna find out everything!

He rushed to the table, eager to see what the others had been so secretive about. As he began to shuffle through the papers though, his smile faded. What on earth were these? Poisoning The Water Supply and Other Disasters: A How To For Your Everyday Villain? Taking over the city; a five step plan? The art of lying?! Why were they on the table? They couldn’t possibly be the other’s, right?

But he could see Wanderer’s messy scrawl in the margins, General’s neat cursive forming tidy notes, Tsunami’s squiggly print describing plans in great detail. He could see it everywhere now, Myth’s paper torn from hard erasing, Beast’s constant misspellings, Thunder’s illegible script. This was what they had been hiding? Evil plans, tips on terror? Anger pulsed, tears clouding his vision. This is what he had been fighting for? Had he been aiding their advancements? He scooped up a random patch of papers spinning around to storm back upstairs and demand to know what was going on. His march was cut short by the sight of Eternus, looking him straight in the eye down the barrel of a stun gun. “Shadow.” the leader growled.  
“Eternus.” he snarled back, fury fueled. “What. The Fuck. Is THIS?!”  
He swept his arm around, indicating the table and all upon it, pages fluttering in the breeze produced.  
“That,” Eternus paused, cocking the stunner. “Is for me to know. And for you to forget.”  
A cruel grin slipped across his features, a crack echoing across the room, and all Shadow knew was black.

*_-_-_+_-_-_*

The first thing Shadow noticed was how cold he was. He was used to the cold, the headquarters were normally chilly, but this was a whole new level entirely. It was a bone-deep, chilling cold, sending an ache into his soul. The second was the light. Painfully bright, it felt like the sun itself was piercing through his eyelids, desperate to blind him. His mind now catching up with himself, it was clear something was very wrong. He ached all over, limbs throbbing to the beat of his heart. His stomach churned, swirling as it screamed. He must have been out for a while, Shadow thought, as he began to sit up. Eyes adjusting to the harsh light, he observed just where the hell he was. 

It was a blank, grey wall that greeted him, alongside a light built into it and covered in glass. He had awoken and was now sitting on the floor, which was also grey and containing a light. In fact, every wall seemed to be the exact same: blank grey and a light, casting no shadows. The room (or maybe cell? He couldn’t be sure at this point) was empty, not a single soul besides him, and not a single item. Just him, alone. “Fuck.” his expletive echoed.  
“You hush right there, young man!” an icy growl slithered past.  
“Oh quiet, sister. ‘Fuck’ would be right, now wouldn’t it, little shadow?” a burning whisper called.  
Shadow paled. He knew those voices, and he hated them to know them. To know their voices was to know pain, to know hate, and to know suffering.  
“Koume, Kotake…” he stuttered.  
“Aha! Got it in one, boy! Maybe you’re not so dumb after all!” the fire witch cackled, popping and crackling like a house on fire.  
“Ah, come on Kotake. He pissed off our little Eternus, now didn’t he? You can’t get much more idiotic than that!” the words dripped along, an icicle growing a murderous tip.  
“Oh, right you are Koume. Perhaps we should teach him a lesson?” her grin was practically audible, undoubtedly a matching one twisting the other’s lips.  
“You know, sister, I think we should.”

Their cackles bounced along, each one slamming into him again and again until they solidified, one single wall of pain as two became one. The Twinrova was here, and she wasn't going to go easy on him.


	2. minor announcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> not a new chapter! just some news

hi y'all, i know it's been a bit.

sorry for not posting more!! it's because i kinda don't like this fic anymore. i still really love this idea, but the fic itself was written at midnight with no editing and uploaded, with no plan or anything. looking back on it, it doesn't make a lot of sense, and it feels weird as compared to some of my newer stuff.

so! i am rewriting it! it will probably be only one chapter, and i'm unsure if i will expand on this universe more. 

thank you all for your patience, i hope i can give you something better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> take care guys <3

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fic (and non-school writing, really) to go past a thousand words and i have no idea where it might end up but it's only been a few hours of work so far. thanks to the folks on the discord who helped me with some names and have been generally supportive!!


End file.
